Approaching Assessment through Children's Metacognition
See how a group a Baker teachers is reflecting on Bena Kallick's Habits of Mind and is exploring methods of assessing
metacognitive thinking in Baker students.
All are welcome, but work is focused on 1st & 4th grades
Dear Metacognition Group -
We apologize that you did not get feedback before your last meeting. We hear your passion for this very important topic. It seems like this is a really big topic that needs some extensive discussion. We suggest you work with the different teams through their team meetings. Perhaps to start the ball rolling, you could introduce the idea and your definition of metacognition in five minutes at a faculty meeting. Or would you rather wait until the end of the year when we can dedicate some more substantial time at a faculty meeting?
The Group
Date: 10.24.11
Names: Aya and Peggy
Today Aya and Peggy accessed Baker Wikispaces and explored the weekly updates and dialogues from the postings of each inquiry project.
We found this fascinating.
We read the recommended article listed below.
We look forward to exploring other links which were listed.
At last week's TIM meeting on October 17th we introduced the idea of the meta-cognitive group's findings in relation to possible BDS progress report revisions and modifications..
Statement summarizing focus: How do we help children to create an awareness of their own thinking?
Where are you individually?
Where are you as a group?
We are ready to present at a faculty meeting or team meeting and get feedback for the social/emotional progress report
Possibilities for April symposium contribution: Poster session, presentation, workshop, panel, discussion facilitator, show video of classroom/discussion, ask students to participate in panel, show artifacts from class, lead activity. These are some ideas, but remember that there are many other possibilities. Feel free to think outside the box!
Where are you going individually? (Please include initial idea for the symposium in April):
presentation or workshop
Where are you going as a group? (Please include initial idea for the symposium in April):
Ask Kimeri and Dan for faculty meeting time to present
1. present question and goals of common language - thinking flexibly, thinking, questioning & posing problems, creating, imagining, innovating, reflection, empathy
2. go over 5 habits of mind
3. pose questions.
is thinking flexibly social, academic, behavioral?
questioning and posing problem - is it reactive and pro-active (developmental)
4. go through middle school prog reports to identify what fits - follow common language, what doesn't fit - if not, then what
copy of current progress report
also share other examples from habits of mind
develop prog rep lang and also student self assessment
what other tools do teachers use?
Can we apply the 5 habits to professional review
create professional bibliography to support
create check list to help teachers include language in narrative part.
Inquiry Group Update
Date: April 25
Names: juli, peggy, emily, aya
Primary contact person:
Statement summarizing focus:
What we have done so far: shared a chart outlining, objective, goals, strategies, measures with group. Will scan and put on wiki
What we will be doing next: meeting 5/4 to share our working looking over narratives. Peggy will have checklists for us to distribute.
Would you like to collaborate with/get support from anyone from NLU? If so, do you have a certain person in mind? What kind of support would you like?
Inquiry Group Update
Date: March 28
Names: juli, aya, peggy, tom, emily
Primary contact person: guess
Statement summarizing focus: Sarah Thurber came to walk us through a process from FourSight to narrow down our focus of metacognitive aspects beginning with the 16 Habits of Mind
What we have done so far: Agreed upon identifying the following;
thinking flexibly
thinking about thinking
questioning and posing problems
creating, imagining, innovating
reflecting learning with clarity & precision
listening with understanding & empathy
accuracy,content knowledge, performance
What we are doing next: looking through narrative portion of report cards to identify.
What we need:
Would you like to collaborate with/get support from anyone from NLU? If so, do you have a certain person in mind? What kind of support would you like?
Inquiry Group Update
Date: 2/28
Names: juli, aya, Emily, peggy
Primary contact person: juli but wishes it was someone els
Statement summarizing focus: what are ways we evaluate meta-cognition at baker?
What we have done so far: reading Habits of Mind, waiting to review copies of report cards.
What we are doing next: reading/categorizing report card criteria and narrative comments
What we need: copies of report cards
Inquiry Group Update – 1/24/11
Names: Aya, Juli, Emily, Peggy
Primary contact person: Once again, Juli – but wishes it was someone else Statement summarizing focus:
Clarified where we are going. We will be looking at progress reports from pre-k-8 (social emotional, advisory, AST – both narrative & criteria) to look for threads of meta-cognition (choosing 1-3 categories from “Habits of Mind” – which we all ordered and will be reading). We want to identify what is embedded and what is not, amount of time spent on these, and what kind of planning goes into this instruction.
We want to check with Tom about PIES.
Possibly create a survey for teachers – rate importance of certain criteria on a scale and ask teachers how they know when students have demonstrated these.
How does meta-cognition contribute to respecting other students? Next year go to other schools to gather information and see if there is a link to student achievement.
Possible presentations to Board & parents.
Implications for beginning teachers. What we have done so far:
Ordered books, What we are doing next: analyzing progress reports next meeting, making t-shirts that say – Assessing Awe What we need: progress reports – Kimeri providing for next meeting, books (ordered)
Inquiry Group Update – 12/13/10
Names: Juli, Aya, Emily – Peggy, Tom, Eunice? Primary contact person: Juli – although she wishes someone else would be Statement summarizing focus: Questions we are developing: o How does developing meta-cognition in students relate to how kids work in groups or develop tolerance? o How much do we consciously teach about meta-cognition or what is embedded or simply what we value? o How does a 10 second wait time contribute to meta-cognition? o Is our work outside the normal curriculum or is curriculum chosen because of what we value? o Process vs. Product o Cursory look at our own classrooms that tells us it is tangible to get kids to understand what they know. (how do we assess meta-cognition?) What we have done so far:
Agreed on a working definition of meta-cognition which is the awareness individuals have of their own mental processes and the subsequent ability hot monitor, regulate, and direct themselves to a desired end. Students demonstrate meta-cognition if they can articulate what strategies they use.
Started list of what we do in our classes or questions we ask of students to promote m.c.
Is it Doable, identifying skill level, double checks answer -works backwards, explain work (why how), does this make sense?, verbal what is easy/hard – articulate, refer back, recognize when wrong, flexible in thinking, identify whats missing What we are doing next:
Reading Habits of Mind (Costa & Kallick)
Add to the list of activities or lessons that develop meta-cognition from our classrooms – possibly ask someone to observe and record rather than record for ourselves.
Review report cards looking for language or expectations of meta-cognition
What we need: Copies of report cards, copies of Habits of Mind, someone to record in our classrooms
==
==
Notes from meeting 12-13 (meta)
How much of this do we do consciously or
How does this relate to how kids work in groups – relate to other student
Doable, identifying skill level, double checks answer -works backwards, explain work (why how), does this make sense?, verbal what is easy/hard – articulate, refer back, recognize when wrong, flexible in thinking, identify whats missing
Confirmation of what baker is and how we get the product, graduating 8th grader
Community – embedded values,
Outside of the normal curriculum or is it? Is our curriculum chosen because of our values? Report cards….
We all want to be doing this – how much is embedded
Resilience
Process more important than the product
How do you assess metacognition
Bena kellick, art costa – habits of mind (16) assessing the habits of mind, google articles (email dialog) – books from Dan – on line explanations of habits get a copy.
Maxine green
Cursory look at our own classrooms that tells us it is tangible to get kids to understand what they know.
Student Self-Assessment Study Group 2010-2011
Notes from 10-15-10
What do students know? And what is the purpose of what they know – how does it benefit them?
Classroom
What does self-assessment look like across all the grades?
Baker
What area of development is self assessment for?
Whole learner – model, what do we value?
Balance is a goal
How do new students to Baker get acclimated to this way of thinking?
Is self-assessment gender specific?
What happens to alumni? What are they realizing after leaving Baker? What role does Baker have to students after they leave?
How do students see themselves? How do others see them? Who are they really?
How do we measure?
Do we want students to leave Baker self-advocates – independent thinkers?
Do you really know it if it doesn’t change behavior?
What are the benchmarks with in the school?
How do we mesh new and veteran teachers in the process? Should be a part of teacher mentoring
What do we value? Start with the mission – deconstruct.
Paragraph from Clara Belle Baker’s book useful
How to we document growth?
Need to get copies of teacher student self-assessments.
Continuity is key, follow through with community beliefs and make them standard
Approaching Assessment through Children's Metacognition
See how a group a Baker teachers is reflecting on Bena Kallick's
Habits of Mind and is exploring methods of assessing
metacognitive thinking in Baker students.
All are welcome, but work is focused on 1st & 4th grades
Dear Metacognition Group -
We apologize that you did not get feedback before your last meeting. We hear your passion for this very important topic. It seems like this is a really big topic that needs some extensive discussion. We suggest you work with the different teams through their team meetings. Perhaps to start the ball rolling, you could introduce the idea and your definition of metacognition in five minutes at a faculty meeting. Or would you rather wait until the end of the year when we can dedicate some more substantial time at a faculty meeting?
The Group
Date: 10.24.11
Names: Aya and PeggyToday Aya and Peggy accessed Baker Wikispaces and explored the weekly updates and dialogues from the postings of each inquiry project.
We found this fascinating.
We read the recommended article listed below.
We look forward to exploring other links which were listed.
At last week's TIM meeting on October 17th we introduced the idea of the meta-cognitive group's findings in relation to possible BDS progress report revisions and modifications..
applicable article
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-moment-youth/201108/the-fallacy-good-grades
Inquiry Group Update
Date: September 30, 2011
Names: Juli, Peggy, Tom, Amanda
Primary contact person: Juli
Statement summarizing focus: How do we help children to create an awareness of their own thinking?
Where are you individually?
Where are you as a group?
We are ready to present at a faculty meeting or team meeting and get feedback for the social/emotional progress report
Possibilities for April symposium contribution: Poster session, presentation, workshop, panel, discussion facilitator, show video of classroom/discussion, ask students to participate in panel, show artifacts from class, lead activity. These are some ideas, but remember that there are many other possibilities. Feel free to think outside the box!
Where are you going individually? (Please include initial idea for the symposium in April):
presentation or workshop
Where are you going as a group? (Please include initial idea for the symposium in April):
Ask Kimeri and Dan for faculty meeting time to present
1. present question and goals of common language - thinking flexibly, thinking, questioning & posing problems, creating, imagining, innovating, reflection, empathy
2. go over 5 habits of mind
3. pose questions.
is thinking flexibly social, academic, behavioral?
questioning and posing problem - is it reactive and pro-active (developmental)
4. go through middle school prog reports to identify what fits - follow common language, what doesn't fit - if not, then what
copy of current progress report
also share other examples from habits of mind
develop prog rep lang and also student self assessment
what other tools do teachers use?
Inquiry Group Update
Date: April 25
Names: juli, peggy, emily, aya
Primary contact person:
Statement summarizing focus:
What we have done so far: shared a chart outlining, objective, goals, strategies, measures with group. Will scan and put on wiki
What we will be doing next: meeting 5/4 to share our working looking over narratives. Peggy will have checklists for us to distribute.
Inquiry Group Update
Date: March 28
Names: juli, aya, peggy, tom, emily
Primary contact person: guess
Statement summarizing focus: Sarah Thurber came to walk us through a process from FourSight to narrow down our focus of metacognitive aspects beginning with the 16 Habits of Mind
What we have done so far: Agreed upon identifying the following;
thinking flexibly
thinking about thinking
questioning and posing problems
creating, imagining, innovating
reflecting learning with clarity & precision
listening with understanding & empathy
accuracy,content knowledge, performance
What we are doing next: looking through narrative portion of report cards to identify.
What we need:
link from Kimeri
http://atelierista-anna.blogspot.com/
Inquiry Group Update
Date: 2/28
Names: juli, aya, Emily, peggy
Primary contact person: juli but wishes it was someone els
Statement summarizing focus: what are ways we evaluate meta-cognition at baker?
What we have done so far: reading Habits of Mind, waiting to review copies of report cards.
What we are doing next: reading/categorizing report card criteria and narrative comments
What we need: copies of report cards
Inquiry Group Update – 1/24/11
Names: Aya, Juli, Emily, Peggy
Primary contact person: Once again, Juli – but wishes it was someone else
Statement summarizing focus:
Clarified where we are going. We will be looking at progress reports from pre-k-8 (social emotional, advisory, AST – both narrative & criteria) to look for threads of meta-cognition (choosing 1-3 categories from “Habits of Mind” – which we all ordered and will be reading). We want to identify what is embedded and what is not, amount of time spent on these, and what kind of planning goes into this instruction.
We want to check with Tom about PIES.
Possibly create a survey for teachers – rate importance of certain criteria on a scale and ask teachers how they know when students have demonstrated these.
How does meta-cognition contribute to respecting other students? Next year go to other schools to gather information and see if there is a link to student achievement.
Possible presentations to Board & parents.
Implications for beginning teachers.
What we have done so far:
Ordered books,
What we are doing next: analyzing progress reports next meeting, making t-shirts that say – Assessing Awe
What we need: progress reports – Kimeri providing for next meeting, books (ordered)
Inquiry Group Update – 12/13/10
Names: Juli, Aya, Emily – Peggy, Tom, Eunice?
Primary contact person: Juli – although she wishes someone else would be
Statement summarizing focus: Questions we are developing:
o How does developing meta-cognition in students relate to how kids work in groups or develop tolerance?
o How much do we consciously teach about meta-cognition or what is embedded or simply what we value?
o How does a 10 second wait time contribute to meta-cognition?
o Is our work outside the normal curriculum or is curriculum chosen because of what we value?
o Process vs. Product
o Cursory look at our own classrooms that tells us it is tangible to get kids to understand what they know. (how do we assess meta-cognition?)
What we have done so far:
- Agreed on a working definition of meta-cognition which is the awareness individuals have of their own mental processes and the subsequent ability hot monitor, regulate, and direct themselves to a desired end. Students demonstrate meta-cognition if they can articulate what strategies they use.
- Started list of what we do in our classes or questions we ask of students to promote m.c.
Is it Doable, identifying skill level, double checks answer -works backwards, explain work (why how), does this make sense?, verbal what is easy/hard – articulate, refer back, recognize when wrong, flexible in thinking, identify whats missingWhat we are doing next:
- Reading Habits of Mind (Costa & Kallick)
- Add to the list of activities or lessons that develop meta-cognition from our classrooms – possibly ask someone to observe and record rather than record for ourselves.
- Review report cards looking for language or expectations of meta-cognition
What we need: Copies of report cards, copies of Habits of Mind, someone to record in our classrooms==
==
Notes from meeting 12-13 (meta)
How much of this do we do consciously orHow does this relate to how kids work in groups – relate to other student
Doable, identifying skill level, double checks answer -works backwards, explain work (why how), does this make sense?, verbal what is easy/hard – articulate, refer back, recognize when wrong, flexible in thinking, identify whats missing
Confirmation of what baker is and how we get the product, graduating 8th grader
Community – embedded values,
Outside of the normal curriculum or is it? Is our curriculum chosen because of our values?
Report cards….
We all want to be doing this – how much is embedded
Resilience
Process more important than the product
How do you assess metacognition
Bena kellick, art costa – habits of mind (16) assessing the habits of mind, google articles (email dialog) – books from Dan – on line explanations of habits get a copy.
Maxine green
Cursory look at our own classrooms that tells us it is tangible to get kids to understand what they know.
Student Self-Assessment Study Group
2010-2011
Notes from 10-15-10
- What do students know? And what is the purpose of what they know – how does it benefit them?
Classroom- What does self-assessment look like across all the grades?
Baker- What area of development is self assessment for?
Whole learner – model, what do we value?Balance is a goal
How do new students to Baker get acclimated to this way of thinking?
Is self-assessment gender specific?
What happens to alumni? What are they realizing after leaving Baker? What role does Baker have to students after they leave?
How do students see themselves? How do others see them? Who are they really?
How do we measure?
Do we want students to leave Baker self-advocates – independent thinkers?
Do you really know it if it doesn’t change behavior?
What are the benchmarks with in the school?
How do we mesh new and veteran teachers in the process? Should be a part of teacher mentoring
What do we value? Start with the mission – deconstruct.
Paragraph from Clara Belle Baker’s book useful
How to we document growth?
Need to get copies of teacher student self-assessments.
Continuity is key, follow through with community beliefs and make them standard